Dunnage producing converter mechanism for producing resilient pad-like or pad-shaped cushioning dunnage product in strip-like form and having lateral pillow-like or pillow-shaped portions and a central connecting or joining section, running generally lengthwise of the strip of dunnage product, are well known in the art.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,750,896 dated June 14, 1988 to Anthony J. Komaransky, et al and entitled Method And Mechanism For Producing Cushioning Dunnage Product, discloses a cushioning dunnage converter or dunnage producing machine of the general type to which the present invention may be applied.
This type of converter mechanism is adapted to take sheets of stock material from a multi-ply stock roll, and pull them into the mechanism while generally turning or rolling the lateral edges of the sheet-like material inwardly, and then connecting the rolled, lateral confronting stock material sections thereof together along the central portion of the pad-like or pad-shaped product by coining, and then emitting the strip of cushioning dunnage product from the machine, with the produced cushioning product comprising relatively resilient, laterally spaced pillow-like or pillow-shaped sections or portions, and a generally centrally oriented coined, connecting portion or section, running generally lengthwise of the strip of product.
The connecting mechanism in the type of prior art converter machine previously identified may be a pair of coacting, generally vertically arranged, gear-like members or the like, which coin or deform the adjacent confronting edges of the lateral pillow-like sections of the pad-like product along the generally central section of the rolled edge strip of stock material, thus connecting together the lateral pillow-like or pillow-shaped sections, and resulting in the pad-like or pad-shaped dunnage product.
The product is adapted to be emitted through an exit opening in the converter machine, and a cutter mechanism is generally provided for severing the strip of cushioning product into selected length, for use in wrapping or packing parts, and the like.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,717,613 dated Jan. 5, 1988 to Gary W. Ottaviano and entitled Mechanism And Method For Producing Cushioning Dunnage there is disclosed a dunnage converter mechanism which is operable to produce a pad-like cushioning dunnage product of the general type as that produced by the converter mechanism of the latter discussed Komaransky, et al patent.
There are a number of other prior art patents disclosing dunnage producing mechanism and methods for producing resilient pad-like or pad-shaped cushioning dunnage product of the same general type as that produced by the converter mechanism shown in the aforediscussed Komaransky, et al and the Ottaviano patents. Some of these are U.S. Pat. No. 3,655,500 dated Apr. 11, 1972 to G. R. Johnson and entitled A Resilient Cushioning Dunnage Product For Use In Packaging And Packing, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,026,198 to Gary W. Ottaviano dated May 31, 1977 and entitled Cushioning Dunnage Mechanism And Transfer Cart Therefor And Method, both of which disclose resilient pad-like or pad-shaped cushioning dunnage products comprising lateral generally resilient pillow-like or pillow-shaped portions connected along the central portion of the pad lengthwise thereof, together with methods and apparatuses for producing the same.
While coining and/or adhesive means have been utilized in these prior art arrangements, for connecting or holding the pillow-like or pillow-shaped portions of the pad-like or pad-shaped product together in pad-like form, to applicants' knowledge, no one prior to applicants has provided a stitching mechanism for use in a converter mechanism which includes perforating means for forming perforations in the produced pad-like product to aid in the holding or securement of the central connecting portion of the pad-like product, for more positively maintaining the pad-like or pad-shaped form of the product, and thus enhancing use and performance of the product.